Don Quixote

Don Quixote is an inexhaustible book, almost indecipherable, there is no one single interpretation to it. The idea to stage the work originated about two years ago. For me, the character of Don Quixote is a symbol of humanity. I think he embodies a universal desire to become someone else, someone closer to one’s dreams and aspirations. In a world abandoned by God, man can only be created by man, which is what Alonso Quixano does by believing in chivalric romances and becoming a knight-errant. It is a story about faith in the broadest sense; it is about an individual’s encounter with a world that’s unwilling to yield to him and about his efforts to impose his ways and values on that world. In essence, the book analyzes one’s ability of coexistence with others. It would be a mistake to say that Don Quixote only thinks in terms of fiction and has completely fallen out with reality. In fact, as one reads the book, it becomes clear that the boundaries between reality and fiction are almost indistinguishable, and Don Quixote is much more like each of us than it may seem at first sight. Another very important aspect is Cervantes’ style, which is incredibly original, especially bearing in mind the literary context of the time. Cervantes took a very fresh look at the world and achieved unprecedented vitality in literature. He doesn’t look down on a single character. There are neither completely good nor completely bad people in his book – Cervantes is too subtle for that. A moralistic approach becomes totally worthless. There is no absolute truth – it is replaced by dialogue. Don Quixote needs Sancho and Sancho needs Don Quixote. Their worldviews complement each other, they learn from each other and grow and change through dialogue. My goal in putting this work on stage is to look for original theatrical expression and to boldly challenge theatrical conventions – after all, Cervantes wasn’t afraid to challenge literary traditions. Adomas Juška graduated in theater directing from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater (studied under Eimuntas Nekrošius). While in the third year of his studies, he made his directorial debut with the play Šveikas (Švejk) (Youth Theater, 2018). A year later, he presented his second project – Fikcijos (Fictions) (Youth Theater, 2019).

Miguel de Cervantes